Picton leads league ladder

Picton Magpies are the only unbeaten team in Group 6 Rugby League after a hard-fought and scrappy 18-10 win over their arch rivals in Camden on Sunday afternoon.

The Magpies are now alone at the top of the table after five rounds, thanks to other results, but will know they need to keep winning matches to fend off the chasing pack of seven teams.

Michael Applebee opened the scoring for Camden after only four minutes, giving the Rams’ supporters something to get excited about.

Minutes later Picton captain/coach Michael Bullock crashed over for his second try in two weeks to get the Magpies on the board and leading 6-4. Picton extended their lead 10 minutes before halftime. Scoring was at a premium, with defence from both sides being the feature of the game, which was played in front of a vocal crowd at Victoria Park.

After the halftime break, again scoring wasn’t a feature of the play, with the first points coming 20 minutes into the second half when Picton half Tim Dengate, who led his side around the park well and caused havoc for the Camden defence, crossed to lead 18-4.

Camden had threatened to score throughout the afternoon but had struggled to cross the line inside the Picton quarter, with several opportunities going wasted.

Camden finally scored through young prop Jake Dooner with 10 minutes left, reducing the margin to only 8 points.

The Rams’ supporters had hope, but the home side ensured this didn’t eventuate into a win for the visitors.

Picton held on for a deserved and determined 18-10 victory, but will know they have plenty of room for improvement in the coming weeks, with tough opposition ahead of them in most games.

Bullock, who has impressed in his recent outings with three tries from two matches, will know they need to produce a more consistent effort to ensure they keep winning but will have been happy with the effort from his side. Handling, however, will be a concern for the coaching staff.